WHEN NIGERIA MAKES THE RIGHT HEADLINES: FROM TELEROBOTIC SURGERY TO A NOLLYWOOD GUINNESS WORLD RECORD
Sometimes, in the middle of everything we complain about as Nigerians, a piece of news comes along that makes you stop and say, "Yes, this too is Nigeria."
In the space of just a few days, two different sectors gave us something worth celebrating.
One came from our health sector.
The other came from our film industry.
Different fields. Different people. Different achievements. But both reminded us of something we already know:
Nigerians are brilliant. Nigerians are innovative. When given the opportunity, Nigerians can break barriers.
A surgeon in Ogun, a patient in Abuja
On September 19, 2026, Nigeria recorded a remarkable medical milestone.
A patient was in an operating theatre at Nisa Premier Hospital in Abuja, while the surgeon leading the procedure, Prof. Obi Ekwenna-Davis was about 500 kilometres away at Redeemer’s Health Village in Mowe, Ogun State.
Through telerobotic technology, the surgeon was able to remotely control the robotic system used for the operation.
The patient underwent a robot-assisted right radical nephrectomy involving a kidney affected by a cancerous tumour, with medical teams supporting the procedure at both locations.
Just think about that for a moment.
The patient was in Abuja. The surgeon controlling the operation was in Ogun State.
This was not something we were watching in a foreign documentary or reading about happening somewhere thousands of miles away.
It happened here in Nigeria.
And that is worth celebrating.
Congratulations to Prof. Obi Ekwenna-Davis and every doctor, surgeon, nurse, engineer, technician, and organisation that played a part in making this possible.
But beyond the celebration, there is also a conversation we need to have.
Our Brilliant People Need the Right Infrastructure
If Nigerian professionals can achieve something like this despite the challenges surrounding our healthcare system, imagine what more they could accomplish with proper and consistent investment.
This achievement should not become another beautiful headline that we celebrate today and forget tomorrow.
It should challenge those responsible for our healthcare system.
Our hospitals need modern equipment.
They need reliable electricity.
They need functioning technology.
They need properly funded research and training.
Our healthcare professionals need an environment that allows their knowledge and skills to flourish.
We can not continue producing brilliant doctors, nurses, scientists, engineers, and other professionals only to watch many of them leave the country because the systems they need to thrive are not available.
Nigerians are already proving that the talent is there.
The government must also do its part.
Support well-meaning Nigerians. Invest in healthcare infrastructure. Create opportunities for innovation. Make it possible for breakthroughs like this to become more common rather than something that surprises us.
Imagine a Nigeria where advanced medical technology is not limited to a few hospitals or special occasions.
Imagine what that could mean for someone living hundreds of kilometres away from the specialist they desperately need.
That is the bigger possibility this achievement should make us think about.
Then Nollywood Gave Us Another Reason to celebrate
Barely a week later, another Nigerian achievement entered the record books.
On September 26, thousands of people gathered at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos for the screening of Black Market.
More than 51,000 people attended, breaking the Guinness World Record for the largest attendance at a film screening in a single location.
Over 51,000 people!
That is huge.
Congratulations to Oreoluwa Racheal Awolowo, popularly known as Nora Awolowo and the entire Black Market team.
This is another reason I don't want us to look only at the final achievement.
Nora's journey did not begin with Black Market.
She had already spent years working behind the camera, building her craft across photography, cinematography, directing, and film production.
Before the Guinness World Record came the work.
Before the celebration came the consistency.
Before thousands of people gathered to watch Black Market, there were years of learning, creating and believing in what she could build.
That part of the story matters, too.
And this achievement is not Nora's alone. Congratulations to director Fatimah Binta Gimsay, the producers, cast, crew, and everyone whose work contributed to making Black Market and its historic screening possible.
Congratulations to Nollywood. 🎬🇳🇬
These Are the Nigerian Stories We Need Too
Nigeria has problems. We know that.
We should continue to talk about them.
We should question our leaders. We should demand better infrastructure, better healthcare, better governance, and better opportunities for our people.
But our problems should never become the only story we tell about ourselves.
Within days, Nigerians made history in health and in the arts.
One story showed us what can happen when medicine meets technology.
The other showed us how far Nigerian storytelling and creativity can travel.
Both reminded us that talent has never been Nigeria's problem.
Our people are brilliant.
Our people are creative.
Our people are barrier breakers.
What they need are systems that support that brilliance rather than frustrate it.
So today, let us celebrate.
Congratulations to Prof. Obi Ekwenna-Davis and the entire medical team behind this historic telerobotic surgery.
Congratulations to Nora Awolowo and the entire Black Market team on their Guinness World Record.
Congratulations to Nollywood.
Congratulations to our healthcare professionals.
And congratulations to Nigeria. 🇳🇬❤️
May the next Nigerian breakthrough not have to happen in spite of our system, but because we finally built a system that helps our people succeed.
— Omolola TalksTV
